Jamie Moyer

Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once observed that “90% of the game is half mental.” For the late Harvey Dorfman, a sports psychologist who had a profound effect on dozens of big league stars over the years, it was more like 100%.

Just ask Jamie Moyer, the oldest pitcher to ever win a major league game. Moyer’s working relationship with Dorfman lasted for more than 20 years. In his extraordinary and inspiring new memoir, written with Larry Platt, Just Tell Me I Can’t: How Jamie Moyer Defied the Radar Gun and Defeated Time, Moyer provides a frank, intimate look at just what pitching is -- the mystery and mastery of it. He also reveals, for the first time ever, the powerful teachings of Major League Baseball's best kept secret, Harvey Dorfman.

Fans of the National Pastime have known Moyer’s name for more than 25 years, because that’s how long he’s been pitching in the bigs. With his trademark three pitches (slow, slower, and slowest) the former All-Star and World Series champion left-hander is a pinpoint specialist whose won-lost record actually got better as he got older -- from his 20s into his 30s and into his 40s.

In truth, Moyer was just about finished as a big leaguer in his mid-20s until he fatefully encountered Dorfman and began listening to the insights of the gravel-voiced, highly confrontational sports psychology coach. With Dorfman’s unparalleled guidance, Moyer began to re-invent himself and reconstruct his approach to the game. Moyer went from being a marginal big leaguer to one of the winningest pitchers of all time.

Moyer, who turned 50 in late 2012 (and hasn’t closed the door on pitching again), is one of the first major league stars to openly discuss working with a psychologist to turn his career around. Everybody in the baseball world knows Jamie Moyer’s name, but no one knows the real story behind his success -- that of Harvey Dorfman’s influence.

Considered one of the most respected players in Major League Baseball, Moyer’s list of accomplishments follow him on and off the field. He entered his 25th Major League Baseball (MLB) season in 2012 with the Colorado Rockies as the oldest active player and the winningest pitcher in the game at the age of 49. On April 17, 2012, the veteran pitcher became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history to win a regular season game.

For the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, Moyer won 16 games and played a key role in the team’s first World Series Championship in 28 years. During the 2010 season, Jamie became the oldest pitcher in baseball history to throw a shutout, when at 47, he threw a two-hit shutout. Moyer went 9-9 in 19 starts before his season ended due to injury. He underwent Tommy John surgery in December of 2010 and immediately began rehabilitation for his return to the game in 2012.

Since 1996, only Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina have won more games than Moyer. The veteran joined the Phillies in August 2006 after 10 seasons with the Seattle Mariners. Moyer left the Mariners as the team’s all-time leader in wins. His professional career also includes stints with the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and most recently the Colorado Rockies. Moyer began his career with the Cubs in 1986 and twice finished in the top five in voting for the Cy Young Award with Seattle (2001 & 2003).

Over the course of his career, Moyer has earned numerous honors for his character, commitment to others and professionalism. In 2003, he was named the Roberto Clemente Award winner as the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and dedication to his team. He has also received the Hutch Award, which goes to the major league player who best exemplifies the character, fighting spirit and competitive desire of former baseball player Fred Hutchinson. With Seattle, Moyer was voted Mariners’ Pitcher of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) in 1998, 1999, 2001 (w/ Freddy Garcia) and 2003. In ’03 he was named to the American League All-Star Team. In 1999, The Sporting News named him to its American League All-Star team, and recognized Moyer later in 2004 as the Number 1 MLB Good Guy. He has also received the Branch Rickey Award for exceptional community service, the Lou Gehrig Award as the major leaguer who best exemplifies the giving character of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, the Dallas Green Special Achievement Award as voted by the Philadelphia chapter of the BBWAA and The Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy.

The father of eight is extremely active off the field as well. He and his wife, Karen, founded The Moyer Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to empower children in distress by providing education and support – helping them to live healthy and inspired lives. With the community’s support, The Moyer Foundation has raised over $20 million to assist hundreds of different programs that directly serve the needs of children in distress.

In addition to supporting organizations through grants, The Moyer Foundation created and funds Camp Erin®, the largest nationwide network of free bereavement camps for children and teens with locations in every Major League Baseball city; Camp Mariposa®, a free camp for children ages 9-12 affected by addiction in their families with locations in Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, San Diego and Washington.

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